Safe night motorcycling: our tips and equipment

Humans may be at the top of the food chain, but they're not nocturnal. Knowing this weakness, how can we ride our motorcycles safely at night? The answer lies in three principles: adapt your driving, be more visible, and see better. In this article, we share our advice with you , and select a range of accessories to make the experience as safe as it is enjoyable.

Whether we're driving at night or in the rain, we're all faced with the same problem: lack of visibility. To be safe, you need to behave in the same way. Which means? Extend safety distances, constantly "read" the road conditions, drive only where you can see, anticipate braking and reduce speed. The aim of these recommendations? To gain more room to manoeuvre. This extra safety will enable you, for example, to dodge any wild boar that crosses the road in a headlong pursuit of its dinner. And in urban environments? You need to be extra vigilant. Wild pigs may be rare, but inattentive motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are legion. The method is simple: consider that you've inherited the gift of invisibility. And yes, at night, your headlight is just a tiny star in the vast constellation of candelabras, neon lights and other car headlights. All the more reason to avoid blind spots.

Secondly, and this is not a cheap truism, the nights are cooler. You've probably noticed. So? To avoid wasting your energy shivering, remember to equip yourself accordingly (thermal lining, winter gloves, neck warmer, etc.).

----> Find out more about thermal liners and jerseys (and our selection)

Finally, a long night out can be as boring as an episode of Arabesque. We're exaggerating (obviously), but the risk is there. While dozing off on the back of the sofa may be relatively harmless, it's not the case on a motorcycle. Coffee? Matches to block your eyes in the open position? Umh, it seems that the best option is to take regular breaks. Stretch your legs, stretch, have a coffee and off you go again!

How do you increase visibility? While a disco ball glued to the tank may seem like a panacea, there are other (more suitable) solutions.

Rider equipment for improved night-time visibility on motorcycles

You need to think! (and we're not talking about your brain cells) Or rather, your equipment should do it for you. Opting for a jacket with reflective elements is a good idea. By the way, most recent models feature them in a rather discreet way.

The ideal solution: a high-visibility vest. Mind you, we're not talking about a vulgar worksite vest, but a jacket that's truly designed for motorcycling. The Rev'it Athos, for example, offers an attractive fitted cut that prevents it from flapping in the wind. And first of all, who's going to make fun of your construction look in the dark of night? Looking for an inexpensive, discreet solution? Get yourself a reflective armband. With its practical format, you can easily keep it close at hand.

----> Icon MIL-SPEC 2 high-visibility fluorescent vest

----> Rev'it ATHOS 2 high-visibility fluorescent vest

Your helmet also plays an important role. It features reflective stickers. Don't have any on yours? It's illegal (and dangerous). If you don't want to sacrifice looks for visibility, you can opt for black stickers. Just so you know, they come with a certificate of conformity. And yes, safety is no laughing matter. Still in the headgear department, there's a particularly effective product: the high-visibility motorcycle helmet. So, yes, it's an aesthetic choice. You're wearing the look of an escort for an exceptional convoy, but you're guaranteed to be seen. And that's crucial.

There's also a high-tech alternative: Shark's i3 range. The helmets in this series feature a front LED light and a rear brake light. An accelerometer detects whether braking activates these precious features. No wired or Bluetooth connection! The best of all? This helmet features a USB C port for easy recharging of its internal battery.

----> Shark SKWAL i3 BLANK SP NOIR MAT motorcycle helmet

Motorcycle accessories for night-time visibility

Of course, your motorcycle also has a role to play. How can you make the most of your chances? By cleaning your indicators, headlight lenses and any reflectors on fairings and/or luggage. A gadget as aesthetic as it is useful? Fluorescent rim edging. Easy to install, it gives you greater visibility without detracting from your bike's style.

----> Here's our tutorial on how to install wheel ribbons (aka rim edgings).

Seeing or driving, we choose both! The first thing to do? Shine your headlights so you can enjoy their full power. Of course, you need to make sure they're working properly: position, full beam, indicators, brake light... Incidentally, your headlight is only really effective if it's properly adjusted. Is your wheel lighting weak? Opt for additional lights. Easy to install, discreet and effective, they're like night and day compared to our old yellow bulbs.

Of course, seeing well is also about eyesight. And that means? Riding with a clean visor is essential. For this, you can rely on dedicated cleaning sprays. Smoked visors are obviously to be avoided! Our advice? Take a spare non-tinted model with you. Finally, to avoid fogging of the visor in cold weather, use a pin-lock lens.

That's all there is to it! Do you know what's great about riding a motorcycle at night? Riding takes on a whole new dimension. Alone on the road, in the dark, time stretches out and the relationship with your bike becomes almost intimate. Don't believe us? Give it a try and let us know.

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